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Man Sentenced to 3+ Years: Stole Over $1.6M from 55 UPS Warehouses Nationwide
Defendants stole more than $1.6 million worth of electronics from over 55 UPS facilities.
A 21-year-old Philadelphia man has been sentenced to 39 months in prison for his part in a conspiracy that targeted United Parcel Service (UPS) warehouses across multiple states, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Aboudramane Karamoko will also serve 3 years of supervised release following his imprisonment, as ordered by Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Bumb in Camden, New Jersey.
Nationwide Burglary Operation
Between January 2021 and April 2023, Karamoko and his co-conspirators, including three other defendants from Philadelphia, carried out at least 55 burglaries at UPS loading facilities. The ring exploited loading bay vulnerabilities—either breaking windows or prying doors open—to access parcels. They specifically looked for packages marked “lithium-ion battery,” an indicator that valuable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, were inside. In total, they stole over $1.6 million in merchandise from UPS warehouses in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Rhode Island, and other states.
Sentences and Restitution
- Karamoko (21): 39 months of imprisonment, plus 3 years of supervised release.
- Sekou Fofanah (20): 24 months of imprisonment, plus 3 years of supervised release.
- Shamaire Brown (19): 24 months of imprisonment, plus 3 years of supervised release.
- Quamaire Brown (19): 33 months of imprisonment, plus 3 years of supervised release.
In addition to prison terms, all four were ordered to pay $1,600,157 in restitution for the value of the stolen goods.
Prosecutors say the co-conspirators: Identified targets based on large shipments of high-value electronics; Broke into loading bays by disabling or forcing open doors, often in the early morning hours; Removed packages containing smartphones and other devices, then transported them for resale or personal gain.
UPS reported the thefts from a variety of warehouses located throughout the eastern United States, with law enforcement agencies piecing together evidence across multiple jurisdictions. The coordinated effort led to arrests, confessions, and eventual guilty pleas from Karamoko and his co-defendants, each admitting they participated in the burglary spree.
Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna praised the cooperative work of federal and local law enforcement, whose diligence resulted in capturing the burglary group. The sentencing marks a final chapter in a multi-year investigation aimed at preventing large-scale thefts from critical shipping hubs like UPS.
Karamoko, Fofanah, the Brown brothers, and others connected to this string of burglaries have been held accountable for executing what the court deemed a large-scale criminal enterprise that spanned numerous states and led to significant financial loss. The restitution order ensures that UPS will recoup at least part of the stolen value, while the prison sentences seek to deter similar criminal operations in the future.
